Automobile attachment



Mar. 20, 1923. 1,448,912

c. F. COWDREY AUTOMOBILE ATTACHMENT F1 1 ed May 29 1922 Y; sheens-sheetl F'iyl I l/ENTOFP A T'TORNEY Mar. 20, 1923. 1,448,912

c. F. COWDREY AUTOMOBILE ATTACHMENT /N l/ENTOR.

ATTORNE) Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. COWDBEY, OF FITCHBURG. MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMOBILE ATTACHMENT.

Original application filed November 26. 1921, Serial No. 518.023.Divided and this application filed May Be it known that I. (nannies l.L'owmuzr,

a citizen of the United States. residing in lritchhurg'. county of'orcestel'. and State of Massachusetts. have invented an Improvement inAutomobile Attachments, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings. is a speciticzv tion. likecharacters on the drawings representinp like parts.

This invention relates to means for bolding the foot-brake of anautomobile in the brake applying position while the action of the brakeupon each rear wheel is being tested.

It is important that brakes. ot an aulomobile or other vehicle be soadjusted that they will act with equal or substantially equal force uponthe rear wheels of the same. and while this is true of both the footbrake and the emergency brake, the condition of the foot brake is inmost cases the more important.

In operating an automobile. the foot brake or running brake is the onethat is commonly used to check the speed of the automobile, and theemergency brake usually is applied only while the automobile rcmains atrest. Even in case of an emergency the foot brake alone is commonly usedto check the speed of the automobile, as often there is not time toapply the emergency or hand brake; and furthermore, both hands of theoperator may be required at the steering wheel at this critical time.

It is therefore apparent that the foot brake should be maintained incthcient condition operable to check quickly the speed of theautomobile, and it is important that the braking action upon each wheelbe substantially equal, for if the brake adjustment is such that it actsmore forcibly upon one wheel than the other it is likely to cause therear portion of the automobile to skid sidewise, due to a greaterretarding force being exerted by one wheel than the other.

The importance of maintaining the brakes of an automobile adjusted sothat they will act with equal force on the opposite wheels is recognizedin the automobile industry, and proper adjustment of the brake actionupon the opposite wheels is sought by turning the Wheels by hand underbrake resistance. Such hand adjustment without means for comparing theaction of the brakes, is

Serial No. 564,670.

guesswork and unreliable. The need of means for accurately determiningthe ac tion of a brake upon the oppositerear wheels of an automobiletherefore apparent. and in my co pcnliing application, Serial X0. SHAH.filed November 26. 1921. of which the present application is a divisioiimeans is shown. described and claimed for testing: the action of thebrake upon each wheel.

In accordance with this earlier application the action of the brake uponthe opposite Wheels is tested by appl vin; the brake to be tested. andthen exerting a force inde pcndently upon the wheels to determine theforce required to turn each wheel under the brake resistance. When thebraking action of the emergency brake is to be tested the brake may heset as usual. but when the action of the foot brake is to be testeddifficulty is experienced in maintaining the foot brake applied with thesame force throughout the testing of the brake action on each Wheel.

The primary object of the present inven tion. therefore. is to providemeans for hoiding the foot. brake applied with a desired forcethroughout the operation of testing the action of the foot brake uponthe wheels. A more specific object of the invent-ion is to provide anattachment that may be secured to the steering post of an automobile tohold the foot brake treadle depressed.

Other objects of the invention and novel combination of parts inaddition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection Withthe accompanyil'ig drawings which illustrate one good practical formthereof.

In the draw mgzst Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an automobile, andshows mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention forholding the foot treadle depressed while the action of the foot brake isbeing tested:

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the attachment for holdinp th foottreadle depressed: and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View through the attachment of Fig.2.

Referring to the drawings: The. automobile of Fig. 1 forms no part ofthe present invention. and may be any automobile, the brakes of which itis desired to test. The automobile is shown as having an emergency orhand-operated brake lever 10 and a. foot brake treadle l1. The emergencybrake lever 10 is commonly o eratively connected to brake means 0 era leupon each rear wheel 12 and 13 o the itutomobile, and the foot braketroadle 11 is' cqmmonly operativcly connected to othefibriike means.opera ble upon each rear wheel. The. toot brake ti adic commonlyprovided with a bent arm l4 pivoted at 15. and either the foot brake orthe emergency brake may be applied independently of the other.

Preparatory to testing the action of the foot brake. upon the rearWheels 12 and. 13 tho foot brake treadlo 11 should be (lepressedsufiiciently to apply the brake with the desired force. and shonli. besecured in the depressed position so that the force with which the brakeis applied will not vary during the testing operation. Various means maybe provided to this end, and in the construction shown an attachmentconsisting of a. bracket 16 is constructed to be secured to the steeringpost 17 of the auto mobile and clamped in position to hold the treadlell depressed. The bracket 16 has at one end thereof a fixed jaw 18 andan adjustable jaw 19 secured to the fixed jaw by bolts 20., The bolts 20may be. pivotally secured at 21 to the opposite ends of the jaw 19 andhave wing-nuts 22 for forcing one 'aw toward the othen. The jawspreferably have their active faces covered with leather or otheryielding material 23.

It is desirable that some means be prtn vided between the bracket 16 andtroadle 11 so that the pressure upon the treadle may be convenientlyvaried, and in order that the said means may be readily alincd with thetreadle. it should be adjustable toward and from the jaw end of thebracket. Therm fore. in the present case. the bracket 16 is )rovidedwith a slideway 24 in which the lock 25 is' mounted for sliding movementlengthwise. of the bracket. and the block may be secured in its adjustedposition by loc iflg means consisting of a. screw 25 which may berotated to force the strip 2.? into clamping engagement with the upperface of the bracket. Through the block .25 extends a' threaded bolt orstem 28 having :1 head 29 at its upper end that may be grasped by thehand to rotate the bolt.

The attachment described may be secured to the steering-post 17 in theposition shown in Fig. l by tightening up the wiug-nuts 22. \Viiereuponthe block 25 may be adjusted to bring the bolt 28 into nlinem'ent withthe foot treadle ll, and tho treadlo may' then be forced downwardly totho desired brake applying position by screwing downwardly the bolt 25%.The braking effort of the foot brake upon each rear Wheel may now be.tested accurately by plaring the test ing device in the position shownin Fig. 1

to rotate the wheel so that the amount of force required to turn thewhen! under the brake. resistan e will be shown by an in dicator.

During the testing operation the when] be ing tented should be supportedclear of the ground by any suitable means such as a. jack 30. The meansfor rotating the wheel may be variously roi'istrurled and in theconstruction shown ronsists oi a column Ill supported in an uprightposition by a base and a low-r 33 is fulrrulned upon the column 31 andhas :1 shoe. 2H ngage/able with :1 spoke of a when] to exert a liftingforce upon the spoke li.- the. lever handle is forced dmvnu'ardly. Theforce rciuiir-ed t turn the wheel ii: indicated by a recording orindicating; d doc #44 that may he open ated by the pressure exerted l Ithe lever 33 upon its fulrrum. The wheel rotating means shown i morefully illustrated and described in the (o -pending application abovecited.

What is claimed is;

1. An attachment for holding: the foot brake tread'le of an automobilein brake a1 plying position, comprising. in combination. :1 brurket,means for serliiing the bracket to a part of the automobile. a slidemounted upon the bracket and adjustable to different positions. a clampfor se uring the slide in adjusted position. and means carried by theslide for holdin the loot brake treaulle in broke applying position.

.2. An nttz'u'hnient for holding the loot brake treiulle of anautomobile in broke upplyin position. comprising. in rombiiuition. :1bracket. secured to the automobile to exiriul over the foot brain!treadle. a slide ailjustulile on the bracket into position above thetrundle. and. means Carried by the slide for holding: the footbraketlcuellr in brake npplyin position.

2 An atta hment for holding the: fool. bl'nkr treiulle of an automobilein brake applying position. comprising. in oomhinotion. a bracketsecured to th automo ile t extend over the loot b'rulie treadle. aslide: niljustubleon the brncloet int {)OFiEiUII allow the tl'cudle. andu. trundle holding stem adjustable lcngrihn'isi' relative to the slidefor holding thri'oot brake troai'llo in brake applying position.

i. in :ittzu'hnirut For holding the foot brake trendle oi :in automobilein brake applying position. comprising. in combination. a bracket. meansfor supporting the. bracket from a part of the automobile so that itwill extend mltwardly over the foot engaging position of the treadie.and means upon the bracket and adjustable iltmun'rirllir thorofromdoforce the Flcmllito ilio broke applying' position.

in nltarlnneni for automobiles c0ni prising, in combination, a bracket,means for detachably securing the bracket to a per tion of theautomobile, a slide upon the bracket, and means upon theslide forholdlug a foot treadle depressed.

6. An attachment for. automobiles comprising in combination, a bracket,means for detachab-ly seeurin the bracket to a portion of theautomobile, and means upon the bracket for holding a foot treadle(lepressed, said means being adjustable relative to the bracket to suitvariations in position of the foot treadle.

7. An attachment for automobiles comprising, in combination, a bracket,means for detachably securing the bracket to a portion of theautomobile, a slide upon the bracket having means for holding a foottreadle depressed, and means for securing the slide in the desiredposition of adjustment.

8. An attachment for automobiles comprising, in combination, a bracketadapted to be supported in spaced relation to the brake foot treadle,and a threaded bolt supported by the bracket for adjustment intoengagement with the treadle for holding the treadle depressed in any oneof a number of different positions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this s )ecification.

C ARLES F. COWDREY.

